WITH CLASSES RESUMING the 285 part-time faculty at Victor Valley Community College will soon have the chance to cast a ballot for union representation, which might help them gain benefits such as sick leave. Two unions, the California Teacher’s Association and the American Federation of Teachers, are gathering support cards from VVC’s approximately 285 part-time or adjunct faculty to show there is enough interest to hold an election to unionize.

Not only will the cards guarantee an election, but they will put each union on the ballot.

The ballot would contain three options for the part-timers — the choice of AFT, CTA or no representation, said Jack Robinson, a part-time English professor at VVC and the president of Part-Time Faculty United. The two unions started vying for the part-time professors’ support in February 2002. At that time AFT opposed a vote by the college board to officially include the part-timers into CTA, which represents the full-time faculty.

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